Plant-based Homesteading and Sustainable Living

What the…?

Can someone please tell me how this little fellow found his way to my nice clean towel that was hanging on the clothesline? It was hanging a good 10 – 15 feet above the ground!

I can only assume that he spied the towel from the ground, decided that it looked like a good place for a nap, and then proceeded to tight-rope-walk his way the 15 or so feet that it was hanging from either end of the line (not to mention the climb he would have had to get up to the line). Either that, or we’ve got incredible jumping snails, which would explain a lot of the damage they wreak on my garden.

After pondering this mystery for awhile, I collected a few plants from the garden to dry for winter use. Above is a bundle of stevia, which has very sweet tasting leaves (it can be up to 30 times sweeter than sugar). I’m going to dry it, pulverize the leaves and then add it to my tea, as it has no calories and does’nt cause tooth decay.

Wrapping the stalks with an elastic band works well when drying herbs in this manner, as it contracts to fit, ensuring that you don’t lose your precious bunch to the floor once they’ve dried and shrunk a bit.

I also collected a big bunch of citronella to dry; I’m not sure what I’ll use it for (any ideas?), but it should be a good insect repellent, not to mention a good air freshener. My house smells very clean with it hanging in the kitchen!

You could make citronella candles for next summer’s evenings out in the yard. I wondered if the strength of the scent would survive six months, but I guess it would – commercially manufactured candles retain their scent a long time.